Hour of the Rat. (06:00 AM – 07:00 AM)
The dawn brought a crisp breeze to the open ground just outside the Black Blood Demon Sect.
The mist hung low, swirling around the jagged rocks and barren earth.
Aksai, standing in his simple robes, took in the desolate scene with a quiet focus. Ahead of him, Haitin Blackblood, with his imposing figure and dark robes adorned with blackish blood accents, stood waiting.
“Are you ready?” Haitin asked, his voice steady but with a hint of caution.
Aksai nodded. “I am.”
Haitin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Good, because what I’m offering you today is filled with risks, brother Aksai.” His tone was grave.
“I’ll repeat it again. The opportunity I spoke of is why the three Core Formation Lords of the demonic faction have been missing for years. Their fate… remains unknown.”
Aksai raised an eyebrow, intrigued but wary. “Is it an isolated domain?” he asked, his mind racing with possibilities.
“Yes,” Haitin confirmed, his expression somber. “My own father, a Core Formation Lord of the Black Blood Demon Sect, is one of those who have been stuck in that special place for many years.”
Aksai’s gaze sharpened. “Your father?”
Haitin sighed deeply before nodding.
“Through a special method my sect possesses, we’ve been able to somewhat confirm that my father hasn’t died. But that doesn’t mean he’s alive and well either.
The Spirit essence interferences in that place… they make it difficult to get any clear information. It’s as though he’s in a limbo, unreachable.” Haitin’s voice hardened.
“It’s… complicated. Let’s just say that as long as he is still stuck inside there, he is no different than the dead.”
Aksai frowned, considering the implications. “And what about Haan Di Lord?” he asked.
At the mention of Haan Di Lord, Haitin’s face darkened, and a more serious demeanor overtook him. He looked directly at Aksai, pausing for a moment before speaking.
“Haan Di Lord… yes, he also entered the special place.”
Aksai’s mind buzzed with questions. “What happened?”
Haitin’s voice dropped, barely masking the intensity in his words.
“It was something none of us expected. Haan Di Lord somehow found out about the location and breached the entrance, despite all the precautions taken by the three major demonic sects.
We are not sure how he did that. We confirmed it again and again. But there was no leak from our end. It was as if he suddenly received an epiphany out of thin air.
We had sect elders stationed there, and they couldn’t stop him. Even combined, they were no match for him.”
Aksai’s eyes widened slightly. For all their power, the three major demonic sects couldn’t stop Haan Di Lord? It only made the mystery of this place grow deeper.
It also highlighted the fact that a Core Formation Lord was the real powerhouse in the Dadangar Subcontinent. Such a powerhouse could only be stopped or intercepted by another Core Formation Lord.
“But,” Haitin continued, “the most shocking part was that he managed to get out.” He leaned in slightly, his expression hard.
“He’s the only one who ever has. The others, including my father, have been trapped inside for years, yet Haan Di Lord returned after only six months. When he emerged, he was severely injured and immediately retreated to his own territory without a word.
This was the origin behind his injuries. This was why we wanted to see Haan Di Lord and ask some details from him. After all, he was the only one who knew what was inside.
We have only confirmed that this special place contains opportunities for even Nascent Soul cultivators. But apart from that, we know nothing. We could have used any information the Haan Di Lord provided us to arrange a rescue operation for three Core Formation Lords. But he retreated and never showed up in public after that.
That’s why we created this unrest in the Wild Devil Lands. Our objective was to force the Haan Di Lord to come out in the Wild Devil Lands to meet us.
We assumed that he would definitely pay us a visit as long as we threatened the mutual interests between us. Why would we try to create unrest without any benefit? After all, we had also benefited a lot from the arrangement we had with Haan Di. We would have never indulged in this self-harming strategy if it was not for our three Lords.”
Everything started to make sense for Aksai. He then looked at Haitin before asking carefully. “How did the Haan Di Lord get out?”
Haitin gave a bitter smile.
“We asked the same question to ourselves. Was the Haan Di Lord so overwhelmingly talented than the three Core Formation Lords from the demonic faction?
In fact, we knew that Haan Di Lord’s attainments were only average when compared against all three Lords that had gone inside first.
Our sect elders, along with those from the other two major sects, studied his exit extensively. They believe Haan Di Lord used the concepts of Heretic Dao to force his way out.
Mao was very active in Haan Di’s territory when he was alive. It was also known that some of the Haan Di Lord’s disciples had many deals with Mao when he was at his peak.
We believe that apart from the arrangements he had with my sect, Mao had also struck a deal with Haan Di Lord regarding the Heretic Dao inheritance he had.
Of course, Haan Di Lord hadn’t made the details of this deal known to the public because of the potential headache he would have had from the righteous sect faction. So it took us some time to confirm this.
This was also the time when we made use of the means available to us to find out that Mao had another unintentional inheritor in you.”
Aksai’s breath caught for a moment. The Heretic Dao… it made sense now, why Haitin was so fixated on acquiring the complete series of the Heretic Dao inheritance.
Haitin smiled mirthlessly at Aksai, as if reading his thoughts.
“Now do you understand why I’ve been so eager to collect the Heretic Dao series? Why I’ve been willing to invest in you so much, brother Aksai?” Haitin asked.
“No matter how long it takes, as long as you master the Heretic Dao, there might be a way for you to escape the special place. And if you can get out, there might be a chance for the three Core Formation Lords to escape as well.
Of course, these are only the best-case scenarios—things I can only dream about. There are many ways this could go wrong. But I’m willing to gamble, as long as there’s even a slight chance of success.”
Aksai nodded slowly, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.
Haan Di Lord’s study of the Heretic Dao had given him the ability to escape where no one else could. But was he a master? Aksai didn’t think so. If Haan Di Lord were truly a master, he probably wouldn’t have been injured.
If Haitin could get his hands on the complete series, perhaps he hoped to replicate that feat—or at least gain some advantage that could help his sect and his father.
“So, this opportunity you’re offering me… it is beneficial for Nascent Soul Spirit cultivators. But can it be accessed by me as well with my Foundation Building realm?” Aksai asked, his voice steady but cautious.
“Yes,” Haitin replied firmly.
“We don’t think it’s an inheritance ground but a special place that existed before who knows how long ago. You going in there… it may be our best shot at finding out what happened to them and why only Haan Di Lord made it out. But I won’t lie to you, brother Aksai—this is dangerous. Even for someone like you who is prudent and steady.”
He paused, his eyes narrowing. “Furthermore, you’re probably not ready to visit this place yet. Not with your current cultivation base. You haven’t even started properly studying the Heretic Dao.”
Aksai listened, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Haan Di Lord must have studied the concepts of the Heretic Dao for decades before he dared enter. Even with his knowledge and his monstrous cultivation base, he barely managed to escape, and his injuries still haven’t healed.
Do you understand what this means?” Haitin’s voice grew harder. “It means that once you enter, you might not come back. The only reason I’m offering you this opportunity is because you would be trapped alongside three Core Formation Lords.”
Aksai’s expression darkened as he absorbed Haitin’s words.
“I’m a bit selfish. But I won’t lie to you either. I indeed had many motives to give you the other two series of the Heretic Dao that my sect had. You… you can act as a messenger for us,” Haitin continued.
“Deliver the complete series of the Heretic Dao to the three Lords. Even if you can’t break out, there’s a chance that they, as Core Formation Lords, can use the Heretic Dao’s concepts to their advantage. They’re more than capable of studying these things.”
Haitin’s gaze was piercing as he spoke.
“Even if you don’t meet up with the Lords from the demonic faction, you might not necessarily die. You can use the time you’re stuck there to study the Heretic Dao wholeheartedly.
What might take you five to eight decades could be achieved in a decade or two inside that place. And if you do make it out, you’ll be able to tell us what you’ve learned.
Of course, you would be rewarded handsomely once you do. I have already proven that I keep my word. I have rewarded you more than what we had initially agreed on, didn’t I?”
Aksai’s thoughts raced, weighing the risks against the potential rewards.
“That’s why I gave you a complete Heretic Dao inheritance, including the series my sect possessed.
*sigh*
If it weren’t for the urgency to retrieve the three Core Formation Lords before the next wave of the beast tide, I would have nurtured you more slowly, rather than sending you in so hastily.”
Haitin’s voice softened slightly. “It’s also the reason I want to study the Heretic Dao, despite the fact that it doesn’t suit me. If you fail… it would be my turn to get inside.”
His eyes remained locked on Aksai, waiting for his reaction.